Another billboard mystery in Minnesota?

Ed MorrisseyPosted at 11:36 am on March 15, 2010

Somehow, I think people will miss this man more than the one featured in the “Miss Me Yet?” billboard that appeared outside the Twin Cities in Minnesota last month. Another anonymous advertisement has appeared on the roadside of a major interstate freeway in the outer-ring suburbs of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolis area, on I-94 just outside of Albertville on the way from St. Cloud to Minneapolis. This ad recalls a President that never got his due in Minnesota:

Who paid for this ad? There are no indications on the sign itself, just as with the previous “Miss Me Yet?” sign with George W. Bush. Ronald Reagan never won Minnesota in either of his two national elections, but clearly someone recalls him fondly. It’s not cheap to pay for this kind of advertising, and it would be interesting to discover who’s behind this one.

Update: This is not a photoshop. I contacted Franklin Outdoor Advertising, who confirmed that they have this sign up at I-94. It was funded by a private effort, but the person to whom I spoke did not know who specifically that includes.

Update II: Also, just for some background, the “Miss Me Yet?” billboard was purchased through one of Franklin’s competitors.

Ed posts about a sign on I-94. I saw it for the first time on Saturday morning as I drove to the Twin Cities for meetings and eventually the MOB party. … It gets very good visibility after you come out from under the Albertville overpass on the road traveling east. I did not realize how fresh the sign was, but Saturday was the first time I saw it.

King also recalls Reagan’s speech at Westminster in 1982. Be sure to read it.

Update IV: Local alt paper City Pages picks up the story, and gives proper credit back to Hot Air. Hart Van Denburg also gets confirmation from Franklin.

A billboard has appeared in Minnesota featuring a photograph of former President Ronald Reagan and the words, “Remember real hope and change?”

The billboard, first reported by Ed Morrissey at the blog Hot Air, is reminiscent of the “Miss Me Yet?” billboard that appeared in Minnesota last month.

The CBS folks believe that the photo I used has been retouched in some way, although it looks more like the process of converting it to JPG format has created some irregularities. CBS also confirmed that the billboard exists with Franklin’s owner, Keith Franklin. I’ll ask friends in the area to take a fresh picture of it and send the raw file back to me.